Vacuum-breaker.



No. 839,697. PATENTED DEC. 25. 1906 J. L. ALLEN.

VACUUM BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APRJO. 1906.

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I v I tw No. 839,697. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. J. L. ALLEN.

VACUUM BREAKER. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 10.1906.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIGE.

JOHN L. ALLEN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO SIDNEY S. BLAISDELL, ()F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

VACUUM-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed April 1O 1906. Serial Ilc.f3l0,979.

To all whmn it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Breakers and Relief-Valves, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of re lief or condenser valves that prevent the flooding of the condenser when the withdrawal of the water from the same slackens or stops. The valve also controls the direction of the exhaust-steam either into the condenser or to the atmosphere.

The invention has for its object to provide a valve that will open automatically and quickly and be held in that position by an auxiliary pressure to admit the atmospheric pressure to the condenser to prevent the rise of water in the same and at the same time to allow the engine to exhaust into the atmosphere if the vacuum becomes broken.

It is customary in the use of automatic relief-valves in connection with condensers to have the valve-disk held to its seat by the pressure of the atmosphere on top of the same, while the vacuum is underneath it. Thus when the vacuum is lost from any cause it requires but a slight pressure in the main engine-exhaust pipe to lift the valvedisk and allow the engine to exhaust to the atmosphere. I/Vhen this occurs, the valve is raised on the current of outgoing steam and has a tendency to slam or pound upon its seat at each stroke of the engine, which seat under these conditions soon becomes battered up and destroyed, requiring an expensive operation to refit the same. Therefore in the use of the old-style valve if the engine was to run non-condensing any length of time it was necessary to block or hold the said valve up by levers, weights, or other hand-operated means to; hold the disk from the seat. ByItheLusefofgmy improved valve mechanism, as soon as the disk starts to rise, it automatically opens a valve and admits an auxiliary pressure to hold said valve in its wide-open position.

Another arrangement of my valve is that should the water fail from any cause to be removed from the condenser and commence to rise in the same the rising of this water would actuate a float, which in turn operates mechanism to admit an auxiliary pressure and automatically open the main valve, allowing the atmospherical pressure to enter and prevent a further rise of water in the con denser.

I/Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the manner of connecting up my improved valve in the exhaust-pipe of the condensing-engine to operate in conjunction with the condenser. Fig. 2 shows the valve partly in section, illustrating the arrangement of the automatic mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the construction of the spring-seated piston.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is the main steam-exhaust pipe, which leads from the low-pressure engine-cylinder through the relief-valve 2 to the atmosphere. Connected to this pipe, just before it reaches the said relief-valve, is the vacuum-chamber 3, which chamber is for the purpose of receiving the exhaust-steam from the low-pressure cylinder and condensing the same, the water being pumped out as fast as it accumulates from the lower end of the chamber through the pipe 4. Located at about the average water-line WV in this chamber 3 is the floatchamber 5, in which chamber is located the float 6, pivotally held at 7.

The main relief-valve 2 is connected up to the atmosphere through the neck 8 and to the engine and condenser through the neck 9. Located in this valve-chamber is the valve-disk 10, that is free to rise and fall therein, said disk being guided by the stem 11, on the lower end of which is formed the piston 12, that works in the cylinder 13, while the upper end of this stem is guided in the bearing 14. The disk is provided with a beveled edge 15, that sits on a correspondingly-beveled seat 16 in the casing.

It is found in practice to be very essential in order to produce the best results from the steam-engine that the vacuum be maintained as nearly perfect as possible. Therefore I have taken extra precaution to insure the main valve against leak from the atmosphere, es-

pecially through the conductor-pipe 35, that communicates with the atmosphere when the auxiliary valve 25 is closed. To accom plish this, I have provided a seat for the piston 12 and have designed said piston so that it will seat itself at 50 in the lower end of cylinder 13 when the main disk is closed, there by effectually preventing the air from leaking in past the piston-ring 51, which it might otherwise do. In order to insure this piston coming to its seat at the same time the main disk comes to its seat, I have cupped out the inner portion of this piston 12 and slidably secured the enlarged head of the stem 11 to said piston by means of bolts 52 52 (see Fig. 3) and have also inserted springs 53 into the lower end of the stem 11 to rest against the piston, thereby causing said piston to be automatically adjustable in its length and when raised from its seat to extend a little beyond its normal position, providing the same with a certain amount of flexibility to better take up or compensate for the expansion of the metals under the different temperatures and insure both the valve-disk and the piston be ing brought to their respective seats to maintain the tight joints for which they were designed.

Connected to one side of this valve-casing is the cylinder 17, in which the piston 18 is held to reciprocate. This piston is connected to the toggle-joint 19 by means of the connection 20, that is pivoted to the piston at 21 and to the joint at 22. This toggle is pivoted at its lower end at 23 to the ear 23 in the casing and at its upper end at 24 to the conupper end of this toggle by means of the threaded portion 26, that is locked by the check-nut 27. When the said piston 18 is in its forward position, the members of the toggle are in a straight line holding said valve 25 to its seat 28. The toggle is prevented from being forced beyond this straight line by means of the stop-finger 29, that brings up against the adjustable limit-screw 30, that is locked in position by the check-nut 31. flow of high-pressure steam through the pipe 32 into the chamber 33; but it will control equally well any gases or liquids under pressure. At 34 is an outlet from this chamber, into which the small conductor-pipe 35 is connected, which pipe leads to the lower end of cylinder 13, where the pressure may act upon the piston 12 to drive it upward and hold the disk in its raised position.

At 36 is a spring-actuated tripping-pin extending horizontally through the Wall of the valve just above the valve-disk, with one end resting against the central portion of the toggle-j oint 19.

This valve preferably controls the The opposite end of this pin is beveled at 37 and is held in such a position that the raising of the valve-disk would engage said beveled portion and drive the pin back against the toggle-joint and trip the same, withdrawing the valve 25 from its seat and allowing the pressure of steam to flow through the pipe and act on the piston 12 to raise the valve-disk in the manner above described. This pin is normally held in its extreme inward position to engage the disk by means of the spring 38. This pin is for the purpose of tripping the toggle-joint to admit the steam to raise the valve-disk when the vacuum is broken and allow the engine to exhaust direct to the atmosphere. The valve may also be opened to the atmosphere if the condenser-pump should break down or if for any cause the water should fail to be withdrawn from the vacuum-chamber. This is a most essential feature, and ordinarily .when the water accumulates in the vacuum chamber it eventually rises and flows into the low-pressure cylinder and much damage is done. To obviate this possibility, I have mounted the float 6 in the vacuum-chamber, which float rises as the water accumulates therein and forces open the valve 39 and allows the vacuum in the chamber 3 to act through the pipes 40 and 41 and withdraw the piston 18, and thus through the togglejoint 19 open the valve 25, admit the steam to raise the valve-disk 10, and allow the air under atmospheric pressure to rush in and prevent the water in the vacuum-chamber from rising.

The check-valve 54 is connected to this pipe 41, and its disk or clapper normally hangs open to admit the atmosphere to said cylinder 17 and allow said piston 18 to be carried back to its normal position when desired. When, however, the valve 39 is opened and the vacuum acts upon the piston 18, the disk 55 in said check-valve is also acted upon to be raised and closed at the same time.

The spring-pin 42, which extends out through the end of the cylinder 17, may be pressed inward by hand to return the piston and the toggle-joint to their normal positions and close the valve 25.

After the steam has stood. for some time in the cylinder 13 to hold the valve-disk in its upward position it is naturally converted, more or less, into water, and when it is desired to return this disk to its seat the valve 25 is closed, and this water may then be forced back from said cylinder through the pipe 25 into the chamber 33, from where it will run down through the holes 43 in the wall 45 into the chamber below, where it will find its way out through the open drip-pipe 44.

It will be noted that by my improved construction the mechanism in this device is all self-contained and none of the working parts have to act through packing-boxes, which is an essential feature to the positive operation of automatic valves, as packing soon becomes gummed or otherwise stuck to the stem and is almost sure to prevent the satisfactory working of the same when required.

My improved relief-valve operates in a most efiicient and effective manner to automatically open wide the valve and hold the disk in its up position, effectually preventing any injury to the seat if for any cause the vacuum becomes broken, allowing the engine to exhaust direct to the atmosphere, and the same mechanism, with but the addition of the piston 18, is also arranged to automatically open the valve and retain the disk in that position if for any cause the water rises beyond its normal level in the vacuum-chamber, thereby keeping the water from getting into the cylinder and preventing damage from this cause.

The device is extremely practical in its construction and efficient in its operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A valve of the character described, comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a vacuum-chamber, and means actuated by an upward movement of the valve-disk whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to raise and support said disk when the vacuum is broken in said vacuum-chamber.

2. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, an auxiliary valve, a vacuum-chamber, and means actuated by an upward movement of said valve-disk whereby said auxiliary valve is opened to admit an auxiliary pressure to raise and support said disk when the vacuum is broken in said vacuum-charm ber.

3. A valve of the character described, comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, a vacuum-chamber and means whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to act on said piston to raise and support said disk when the vacuum is broken in said chamber.

4. A valve of the character described, comprising a casing, a disk in said casing, a guidespindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, a vacuum-chamber, and means actuated by an upward movement of the valvedisk whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to act on said piston to raise and support said disk when the vacuum is broken in said vacuunrchamber.

5. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, a vacuum chamber and means whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to act on said piston to raise and support the V disk when the water rises beyond its normal height in the vacuumchamber.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a valve including a casing, .a vacuum-chamber, a disk seated in said casing, means for automatically raising said valve-disk and supporting it in its open position when the vacuum becomes broken in said vacuum-chamber, and means for automatically opening and supporting said valvedisk when the water rises beyond its normal level in said vacuumchamber.

7. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a valve, a vacuum-cham ber, said valve including a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, and means in said valve whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to act on said piston to raise and support said disk when the'vacuum is broken in the system and also when the water rises beyond its normal height in the vacuumchamber.

8. A valve of the character described, comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, a spring-pressed pin arranged to be actuated by an upward movement of the valve-disk whereby an auxiliary pressure is admitted to act on said piston to raise and support said disk when the vacuum is broken in said vacuum-chamber.

9. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, an auxiliary valve for controlling the inflow of an auxiliary pressure to said piston, a piston for controlling said auxiliary valve, a vacuumchamber, and means in said chamber whereby when the water rises beyond its normal level the said piston will be withdrawn to open said auxiliary valve and admit the pressure to raise and support said valvedisk in its open position.

10. A valve, a valve-casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle, an auxiliary valve for controlling the inflow of an auxiliary pressure to said piston, a spring-pressed pin arranged to open said auxiliary valve when the vacuum is broken in the system, a piston also connected to said auxiliary valve, a vacuumchamber, and means in said chamber whereby when the water rises beyond its normal level the said piston will be withdrawn to open said auxiliary valve and admit the pressure to raise and support said valve-disk in its open position.

11. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, an auxiliary valve for controlling the auxiliary pressure, a spring pressed pin arranged to be actuated by an upward movement of the valve-disk to open said auxiliary valve when the vacuum is broken in the sysber is broken.

. 3 14. A valve, a valve-casing, a disk, seated tem and allow said pressure to raise and sup port the valve-disk 111 its open position.

12. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, an auxiliary valve, a toggle-joint, said valve being operated through the action of said toggle-joint, a vacuum-chamber, and means actuated by an upward movement of said valve-disk whereby said toggle-joint is moved to open said auxiliary valve and admit' an auxiliary pressure to raise and support said diskwhen the vacuum in said cham- 13. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a guide-spindle on said disk, a piston on said spindle an auxiliary valve, a togglejoint, said valve being operated through. the action of said toggle-joint, a piston also connected to said toggle-joint, a vacuum-chamber, a float-actuated valve in said vacuumchamber whereby when the water in said chamber rises beyond its normal height, the float will open said valve and allow the vacuum in said chamber to withdraw said piston and through said toggle-joint open said auxiliary valve and admit the auxiliary pressure to raise and support said disk in its open position.

in said casing, an auxiliary valve, a togglejoint supporting said valve, a spring-pressed pin arranged to engage and operate said toggle-joint to open said auxiliary valve when the valve-disk is raised from its seat by a connected to said toggle-joint, a vacuumchamber, a float-actuated valve in said vacurim-chamber whereby whenithe water inisaid chamberrises beyond its normal height the float will open said valve:and ,allow the vacuum in said chamberlto withdraw'said piston and through said toggle-joint open saidauxiliary valve and admit the'ifauxiliary pressure to raise and support said disk inits open position.

15. A valve of the character described,

comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a piston connected to said disk whereby said disk may be raised and supported from its seat by an auxiliary pressure, and a seat on which said piston also rests when the valve-disk is in its closed position to prevent a leak past saidpiston.

16. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a piston connected to said disk whereby the same may be raised and supported from its seat by the admission of pressure to said piston, a cylinder in which said piston works, a seat in said cylinder on which said piston rests when the valve-disk is down to prevent a leak into the vacuum portion of said valve.

17. A valve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said cas-f and fmeans in jsaid piston whereby its distance from the valve-disk may be automatically varied.

18. A gvalve of the character described comprising a casing, a disk seated in said casing, a piston connected to said disk whereby the same may be raised and supported from its seat by the admission of pressure to said piston, a cylinder in whichfsaid piston works, a seat inf said cylinder on which said piston rests when theZ-Qvalve-disk isfdown toLprevent a leak into the vacuum portion of said valve, and springs in said piston whereby its seating end may be automatically extended and contracted to suit existing conditions.

In testimony whereofil afiixzmy signature in presenceL'of two witnesses.

JOHN L. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLoW, E. I. OGDEN. 

